Monday, March 23, 2015

Periscopes UP and OUT

LGBTQ Health Awareness Week 2015

Monday, March 23rd kicks off LGBT Health Awareness Week 2015. The National Coalition for LGBT Health created National LGBT Health Awareness Week in 2003 to promote increased health awareness and outcomes in the LGBT community and promote the need for greater cultural competency in the healthcare system. This year's theme is "Time to Come Together: Trust,
Transparency, Truth."

So what does this mean in this neck of the woods? Although most likely most folks have no clue to this specific awareness week or as we've noticed not many others either, there are some items that may be of some interest to consider.

The coalition will be holding a webinar, Wednesday, March 25, 4 pm (EST). The event will spotlight how LGBT health centers and advocacy organizations have led the way in building clinical programs and best practices that have uniquely addressed the needs of their diverse populations, such as transgender individuals, racial and ethnic LGBT minorities, gay and bisexual men at increased risk for HIV, and LBTQ women. During LGBT Health Awareness Week, the National Coalition for LGBT Health is highlighting four of these programs, which have built trust with LGBT clients. The webinar will provide recommendations and insights for health centers and medical providers on building trustful relationships with LGBT clients

Unfortunately here in Arkansas, we have not been afforded a facility that is designated a "LGBT Health center," that are most common in many larger metro areas and have been for some time. This especially scaled up during the height of the AIDS crisis in which coalitions and other organizations rallied together to marshal resources to address needed health facilities.

To this date, their are still only a small cadre of physicians, dentist and infectious disease doctors that specifically treat HIV patients statewide. This shortage has been the topic of many discussions surrounding the issues of medical reimbursements and with mass migration of Ryan White participants to the Affordable Care Act. Despite these discussions the situation still persist in the face of the impending HRC Health Summit scheduled for June 11th. which is set to further discuss the challenges and barriers of health equity in the LGBTQ community and beyond.


The Arkansas Fair Housing Conference 

Arkansans from around the state look forward to this free nationally recognized statewide fair housing/fair lending education event. With Act 1785 of 2001, the State of Arkansas joined many other states in efforts to enforce fair housing/fair lending rights for citizens.
 
Our speakers are luminaries and thought leaders in banking, civil rights, planning and development, enforcement, law and come from places such as the United States Department of Justice, The Federal Reserve, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Fay Jones School of Architecture, Arkansas Development Finance Authority and so many more.
 
We anticipate hundreds from local agencies, government, faith-based and community organizations, industry groups and the general public participating in this event. We look forward to seeing you at the Crowne Plaza Hotel - Little Rock for the 10th Annual Arkansas Fair Housing Conference. Contact: www.fairhousing.arkansas.gov
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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